Snap-hook



u man G. s. MINSHALL.

SNAP HOOK. No. 499,304. Patented'June 13, 1893.

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I 'lo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MINSI-IALL, OF GREENLEAF, KANSAS.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,304, dated J' une 13, 1893.

Application filed March 11,1893. Serial No. 465,603. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, GEORGE S. MINsHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenleaf, in the county of Washington and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Snap-Hook, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in snap-hooks, and has special reference to that class of snap-hooks adapted for use upon the breast-straps of harnesses.

The object of the invention is to produce a snap-hook of cheap and simple construction, which may be opened without the necessity of pressingthe tongue with the thumb of the hand but merely by grasping and compressing the hook at certain points, whereby the tongue is operated against the tendency of its spring.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hook embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detailin elevation of one of the camplungers.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the gures of the drawings.

The hook as usual consists of the strap-receiving eye l, and is further provided with the front cross-bar 2 which is made somewhat larger in the present instance than is usually the case, and is provided with a transverse bore 3 extending throughout the length thereof. At its center there is formed the hook proper 4, and the same at its base together with the cross-bar is provided with a recess 5. A pintle 6 is passed through the cross-bar 2, and is located eccentrically with relation to the center4 thereof, and upon the pintle is provided the swinging tongue 7, which tongue is provided with a transverse opening 8 which is in line with the bore 3 of the bar and with the curved U -shaped recess 9. In the curved U-shaped recess 9 a fiat spring 10 is located, the upper terminal of the. spring resting against the inner or under side of the tongue 7, while the lower terminal rests upon the bottom of the recess 5 formed in the base of the hook proper 4, so that as will be obvious the spring being bowed normally forces the tongue 7 upward and its outer end in contact with that i stated, and the same are designed to ride over A the curved bottom of the recess Sof the tongue and being located in frontpf or to one side of the pivot point 6 of said tongue will consequently serve to depress the tongue against the spring when said plungers are forced inward. Cross-pins 14 and 15 extend from the plungers, and between them depend from the cross-bar 2 stop-pins 16, between which and the cross-pins 15 light coiled springs 17 are mounted upon the plungers and serve to normally spread the same. This completes the construction of the snap-hook, and the operation will bey readily apparent.

In order to open the hook it is simply necessary to graspthe hook as a whole between the thumb and forefinger of the hand, compressing the heads 12 of the plungers, which operating upon the tongue in the manner specified will depress the tongue, thus opening the hook andv giving access to the ring. Immediately upon release of the plungers the springs 17 return the same to their normal positions, thus liberating the tongue and per- .mitting the same to be influenced by the spring 10. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a construction of snap-hook in which it is unnecessary to feel for the tongue in order to depress the same or for any small lugs or other projections, but to the contrary have so arranged the same that instantly when the hook is taken in the hand the lingers naturally find the heads of the plungers so that no time is lost.

Various changes in the minute details of the invention may suggest themselves to those conversant with this class of devices, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precise details herein set out. f

Having described my invention, what I claim is- IOO l. In asnap-hook,t11e combination with the eye having the front cross-bar provided with a bore, the hook propel' extending forward from the center of the cross-bar which hook at its face and the cross-bar are recessed, of a tongue pivoted to the bar and eccentrically with relation to the bore thereof, said tongue having a recess in line with the bore, a spring for normally elevating the tongue into engagement with the terminals of the hook proper, and spring-spread plungers mounted in the bore of lthe cross-bar, passing through the recess of the tongue, and provided with camfaces for depressing the same, substantially as specified.

2. In a snap-hook,the combination with the eye, and the hook extending forward from the center of the cross bar of the eye, said hook and cross-bar being provided with a recess, of a tongue located in the recess, a pintle eX- tending through the recess, and near the rear end of the tongue, a U-shaped recess or opening formed in the tongue, a bowed spring seated therein and resting against the bottom of the recess in the hook proper, opposite plungers arranged in the ends of the bore of the bar and extending into the recess in the tongue, said plungers being provided at their inner ends with curved cam-faces adapted to operate in the bottom of an opening formed in the tongue, stops located upon the plungers, heads at the outer ends of the plungers, stops located in the bore, and light coiled springs interposed between the stops of the plungers and those of the bore, substantially as specified. y

3. In a snap-hook, the cross-bar 2 and hook 4, in combination with the swinging tongue 7, and the plungers 1l mounted in the cross-bar and having springs 17, the connection bctween the plungers and tongue being such that a longitudinal movement of the plungers effects Athe swinging of the tongue, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. MINSHALL.

Witnesses:

LEAN J osLYN, ELLIS MINSHALL. 

